Show Me What I'm Looking For
by redhead414
Summary: COMPLETE REWRITE - A LITERAL DO-OVER: See Author's Note for Details This is the third installment of the "It's All Uncharted" universe - you don't necessarily have to read IAU or "Building a Life" to figure things out...but if you did, some subplots and side stories would make more sense.
1. Chapter 1

**Ok…so here's the deal. I hated all of the original chapters. I had some serious continuity issues because I was an idiot and started writing it before I was even finished with IAU, and as I tried to remedy them, it was causing me more problems than I anticipated. So as you can see, I just said the hell with it. **

**Now – the characters are the same, but the ages are correct. Some of the original chapters will appear in the story as flashbacks, and some of it will never be seen again. I'm sorry if this upsets you guys, but I'm telling you that the more I tried to rewrite and fix these chapters the more it just wasn't working. This, however, I feel has a bit more potential.**

**So I'm asking you to trust me, and get excited because I was inspired once again as I wrote this chapter, which means that this story will get finished because it will deserve to be finished. And if you want to flame me about it – please just PM about it instead of leaving a nastygram in the comments section.**

**-Redhead414**

* * *

Ages for those curious:

James: 30 Scorpius: 21  
Albus: 27 Lily: 21  
Harper: 24 Charlotte: 18

* * *

"Did you see what _Witch Weekly_ wrote about us today in the paper?"

Lily Potter was busy fastening a pearl earring into her left lobe as she looked through the reflection of the bathroom mirror at her fiancé, sitting on the end of their bed, flipping through the magazine. "If it's just going to piss me off, I don't wish to hear about it," she informed him as she fastened a pear earring in her other ear. "I'm really trying to relax before this dinner, and it's not working."

Scorpius Malfoy dropped the magazine on the bed and stood up, walking towards her with a reassuring look on his face. He braced his hands on her bare shoulders and gave them a gentle squeeze, looking at her through the mirror. "Why are you so nervous?" he asked with a twinkle in his eye. "It's only an engagement dinner for us and 500 of our closest friends."

She tried not to flare her nostrils, but it was a reflex that couldn't be controlled. "500 bloody people," Lily muttered under her breath. "I hardly like fifteen people, let alone 500. Fasten this please?" she asked, her hands holding a strand of pearls up around her neck.

He did as she asked, and made sure the necklace was securely clasped. "You know," Scorpius said in a teasing tone. "You could just wear _this_ to the event."

Lily gave him a less than impressed look as she stood in front of him, wearing nothing but nude lace knickers, a matching strapless bra, and high heels in a deep, plum color. Her auburn hair was pulled up into an elegant French twist, a pearl studded comb keeping it all in place, her make up flawless. "Go get my dress out of the closet, please."

"Yes, dear," he said with a chuckle. He returned as quickly as he retreated, with a strapless, teacup length dress the same color as her shoes, with a peek of black tulle visible just past the hemline. Lily stepped into the dress and held the sweetheart neckline up against her chest as Scorpius carefully pulled the zipper of the satin dress up, hooking it shut at the top. "You look stunning," he told her, grabbing her hand and twirling her around.

"You think this is an all right color?" she asked, smoothing her hands out over the nonexistent wrinkles in the skirt of her dress. "It doesn't clash with my hair?"

"You look amazing," he promised. "And stop worrying ok? Everything is going to be fine."

Lily gave him a look. "Anytime your sister and either of brothers are in the same room, nothing good happens. Tonight is going to be anything but fine."

"You know our mothers will threaten them within an inch of their lives if they ruin tonight," Scorpius tried to reason, though there was a small part of him that had the exact thought Lily had. He, like Lily, wasn't really worried about her brothers. It was his older sister, Harper, that had the potential to throw a wrench into anything she was a part of.

* * *

"You know what I love best about you?"

Charlotte Malfoy, the youngest of Draco and Hermione's children, turned around at the sound of her father's voice and smiled. The newest graduate of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, she was excited for this summer to spend helping her brother and Lily plan their wedding, and to spend the rest of her spare time with her nose in a book, as her healer apprenticeship started in the fall. Her hands on her hips in a very Hermione-like way, she stood in front of her father in a black dress, sleeveless with a boat neck scoop and an A-line skirt that fell to her knees. A bright pink sash was tied into a bow on the side of her waist, her curly brown hair framing the face that was a spitting image of her mother. "What would that be, Daddy?"

"Well, for starters, that you still call me _Daddy _every now and then," he said with a smile.

"What's the real reason?"

"That I never come into your room preparing for a minor heart attack," he said with a weary smile.

Charlotte knew he was referencing her big sister. "Is she coming tonight?"

"She told your mother she was," Draco said.

Charlotte frowned. "This isn't going to end well."

"We can always hope for the best."

"Just as long as we prepare for the worst."

Draco chuckled. "I'm hoping that the three of them understand that this is Scorp and Lil's night, and that they will act with the good sense I know the three of them have."

Charlotte shrugged, her hands finding the pockets conveniently sewn into her dress with the help of Ginny. "Where's Mum?"

"Already at the Ministry with Ginny, getting things set up," Draco said. "I have been instructed to have you help me with this tie because your mother is not here to do it, and then we can head over and help with whatever else is left." The engagement party for Scorpius and Lily was being held in the atrium of the Ministry, as it was the only magical venue large enough to hold the obscene number of people that were invited to what was supposed to be a small engagement celebration. It stayed small for about an hour into planning before it turned into the circus it was currently becoming. Handing Charlotte his black tie, he tilted his pointed jaw up into the air and smiled as Charlotte began to tie him a proper Windsor knot.

"Why don't you just tie your own tie?" she asked her father. "I mean, you had to wear one at school, right? Don't all, good pureblood wizards know how to tie a proper tie?"

Draco chuckled. "Your mother has been tying my tie since we started dating…and now when I try to do it, it doesn't look right. I guess I'm out of practice."

Charlotte smiled. She adored her parents, and the relationship that they had with each other. Unlike her sister, she had never had a boyfriend before. To be honest - Charlotte had never really been kissed, either, unless you count that time last year at the Christmas dance, when Liam Finnegan tried to kiss her and because she ducked, Elliott instead managed to kind of kiss and kind of lick the side of her face all at the same time. But she didn't count that as a real kiss. She didn't even know what Elliott was thinking when he did it, but politely allowed him to save face by believing his bumbling 'magical mistletoe' response.

"There," she said, smoothing out his tie as she smiled. "You look perfect."

Draco kissed his daughter's forehead, wondering where the time went, as she was no longer a little girl. "Thank you, Charlie," he said, using her special nickname that Scorpius coined for her, but only certain people were allowed to use. "You ready to go?"

"Just let me grab my clutch, and we can go," Charlotte replied.

"You didn't hide a book in there with one of those undetectable extension charms that your mother's notorious for, did you?" he teased.

Charlotte gave her dad a mocking glare before smirking. "Maybe."

* * *

Harper Grace smeared on her sheer lip-gloss and gave herself a final once over in the mirror. A note from her mother was half folded on her vanity, the elegant script stating: _The party for your brother and Lily will start at six o'clock sharp. Please dress appropriately and remember that the night is about the two of them. Love Mum_

The designer gown she had her slim figure slipped into was covered in turquoise sequins, strapless up top and stopping mid thigh at the bottom. It just came off of the new line she modeled for, and was given to her as a gift by the designer himself. Tall like her father, she was already four inches shy of six feet, and the heels she slipped herself into would undoubtedly give her a commanding presence upon arrival. Her long, curly blond hair was contained in a voluminous up-do of ringlets and braids, her makeup done up to the nines, and if she did say so herself, she looked fantastic.

The nerves that had her stomach in knots were being numbed with a calming potion she took earlier. Her mother warned her that both James and Albus would be there tonight, and that they were to be on their best behavior. Harper figured, due to the obscene number of people that would be at the event tonight that she could manage to stay away from both of them. That was her plan, anyway. Trapped in a space with her ex-boyfriend and his brother who was in love with her did not sound like a plan that would end well for anyone, but she had to rise above it. That's what she told herself, anyway.

Next to the note from her mother on her vanity was a note from her brother, which had one sentence written: _Fuck this event up tonight and I will never forgive you. ~Scorpius_

She wondered if James would be bringing a date. Harper couldn't imagine him coming to tonight's party alone. Albus, she figured would go stag, but James always had a lady on his arm - or - a woman, anyway. Calling some of those slags 'ladies' would be pushing it a bit, in Harper's opinion. He's kept the same girl around now for a bit, though. Ellis was her name? Maybe? She couldn't really remember, mainly because she didn't actually care. _He misses me. I know he does_, she thought to herself as she smeared one more layer of lip-gloss onto her lips. Of course, James hadn't been seeing anyone seriously since they broke up three years ago - evidenced by the revolving door of witches on his arm - but that didn't mean that Harper didn't think about James every day. Despite their six-year age gap, James was still considered to be the love of her life in Harper's eyes, and regardless of whom she dated, she couldn't shake the simple fact that none of those men were James.

And then there was the whole Albus thing. Sleeping with Albus the night she and James broke up was a mistake she readily admitted, but had she had a full understanding of how much Albus loved her, she never would have done it…despite the amount of Firewhiskey coursing through her bloodstream at that time. Both of them were completely pissed, Harper apparating to Albus' flat after her final blowup with James, and the next thing she knew the two were drinking, the bottle was empty, and clothing had disappeared. When she woke up the next morning, Harper assumed that maybe Albus had more of James in him than she gave the younger Potter brother credit for when it came to casual sex. But as she shifted slightly in the bed, she felt Albus pull her backside close to his chest, and froze as she heard him whisper _I love you_, in her ear. Harper thought she misheard at first, but she didn't, and was in shock. He never said anything like that to her. Sure, they were great friends…were being the key word at the present…but back then, she never even had an inkling that he felt anything like that towards her.

The moment she was sure Albus fell back asleep, she disappeared without a trace. He wrote her letters after she left night. Daily letters which soon turned into weekly letters, then fluttered into monthly letters and then finally the last letter, six months after that night. _Heaven forbid you allow someone to love you the way you deserve to be loved. James was never going to do that for you, but I would do it every day if you let me. But with your lack of response, I suppose you have a better offer. I won't write again. -Albus_

While both sets of parents knew Harper and James had broken up completely - instead of it being one of their 'breaks' - none of them knew about Albus. As far as Harper was concerned, no one knew about her and Albus _but_ her and Albus.

* * *

"You ready to go, little brother?"

Albus rolled his eyes at James as he finished fastening the cufflinks on his shirt. James had apparated over to his flat a few minutes ago, already dressed, and ready to go. "Is she going to be there?"

"Harper? Probably. You two _still_ not talking?"

"Nope," he sharply replied.

James made a face. "Are you ever going to tell me why you two aren't talking?"

"Nope."

"Really? Because it's not like she's foreign to me - we did date for quite awhile, you know."

Albus shook his head. "It's not something I ever want to discuss." He fastened his other cufflink and grabbed his suit coat, slipping one arm into the black sleeve and then other. "Are you bringing Ellie?"

"No," James replied. "She was supposed to come with me, but her grandparents are in town from the states and she hasn't seen them in forever." Ellie Thornton was his girlfriend, and had been for nearly a year now. She was half-blood, a wizard that worked as an primary school teacher in Muggle London, and graduated the same year James did from school. They crossed paths again at a Hogwarts reunion the year prior. He didn't remember her, but after some digging, he found out that she was a Ravenclaw, very bright, and wasn't one to ever draw attention to herself. "Besides, if Harper is going to be there, I don't want her to eat Ells alive."

He took a seat on his brother's couch and sighed. Harper Grace Malfoy had been his object of affection for a long time, and even though he was twenty-two when he started secretly seeing the then sixteen-year-old girl, he didn't think the age distance would matter. He loved her - loved her more than anything. But as he got older, that age gap became more significant, and suddenly all they were doing was fighting. She was immature and incapable at that time of dating someone who was older, and he was in a place where he had no desire to relive the chaos of someone else's early twenties. All of that was already out of his system. His career as an Auror was talking off, and all she could do was complain that he was never around, or was lazy when he was too tired from coming off a mission to go out to the latest nightclub. He missed her - and would be lying if he said otherwise - but he didn't miss the drama. That was his favorite part about Ellie. She was as low maintenance as they came, understanding of his job, and never made him feel bad when he missed things.

James looked over at his brother, curious about this three year spat going on between him and Harper. He knew that he and her had a falling out at the same time of their breakup, but Albus always swore it had nothing to do about that. Albus was always the calm and rational of the two Potter brothers. He always would think before speaking, and it took a lot for him to get worked up and on top of that - to hold a grudge. Which was why this rift between him and his ex-girlfriend was so baffling not only to him, but also to his parents and the Malfoys. He wondered if Charlotte knew the real reason. Charlotte and Albus were about as close as Scorpius and Lily were - except their relationship was completely platonic. Charlotte was much like Albus in how she handled herself, and if you ever wanted a secret kept - Charlotte Malfoy would be the person to tell. Albus used to exchange letters with Charlotte during her time at Hogwarts, which he thought was odd at first but when Albus explained to him that he understood feeling the same way she did on her very first day, and he didn't mind being a sort of pen pal. James could understand that. After all, while the two of them had Lily as a 'little' sister, Charlotte was the baby sister for both the Malfoy and the Potter siblings due to the closeness of both families.

"Are you going to be alright if you do see her?" James asked.

"I don't have a choice," Albus replied. "This is Scorpius and Lily's party. I don't have plans to cause any sort of scene."

"You wouldn't cause a scene regardless," James said.

"I know," Albus replied. "Lil says that Aunt Hermione and Mum invited 500 people. I'm sure she'll be easy to avoid and if she isn't, well, I'll stay through dinner and excuse myself."

James nodded. "I just hope she's done a bit of growing up, you know? I'm always going to love her, but her immaturity is going to be her downfall with everything if she doesn't figure out how to get it together."

Albus couldn't agree more. "I hope she does, but I'm not holding my breath. After all - like Grandpa Arthur always says - leopards don't change their spots."

* * *

Scorpius remembered the first time he kissed Lily. It was right before the start of their fourth year, thanks to a flirty schoolmate who was batting her eyes and touching his arm as she asked him about whether or not he was excited to get back to Hogwarts. He told her he was ready for fourth year, but left out the fact that he was even more ready to get the hell away from her. When they walked out of Flourish and Botts, he felt the backside of his arm catch the wrong end of a stinging hex, and when he spun around, he was face to face with a furious looking Lily.

"_Have you gone completely mental?" Scorpius screeched, rubbing his arm with a scowl. "That bloody hurt and we aren't even supposed to use magic outside of Hogwarts!" _

"_Oh, so now you're calling me mental?" Lily exclaimed, hands waving as she spoke._

_He snatched her wand from her hand before she could hex him again. "No - but I'm not about to let you throw another hex at me so would you please tell me what has your wand in a knot?"_

_Lily scowled. "Right. Like you didn't notice how Alice Clegg was practically throwing herself at you inside Flourish and Botts. Because I certainly didn't notice you shoving her away."_

"_I think it's somewhat frowned upon for boys to shove girls," Scorpius said, though he knew it sounded like a weak defense in the presence of Lily Potter. "Besides - it's Alice Clegg? She flirts with anything that has a pulse. You of all people should know I cannot stand her."_

_Lily tucked her long red locks behind her ears as her glare slightly softened. "You still could have made her back away from you. She was practically smothering you." _

"_I'll make a mental note for next time," Scorpius joked._

"_I'm glad you find so this funny, Scorpius Malfoy."_

_Scorpius sighed, scratching the back of his head. It was never a good sign when she spat his first and last name. "Lil, I don't know what I'm supposed to say that doesn't get me into a world of trouble with you."_

_She threw her hands up with utter exasperation. "I just don't think that you should let such foul creatures like Alice Clegg throw themselves at you when everyone knows that you're…well, you know…I mean, obviously…what I'm trying to say…"_

_He could see her cheeks blushing as she stammered, and that's when it hit him. Lily was jealous. Merlin only knew why - considering Scorpius thought it was quite apparent that he felt the same way about her. He watched as he face grew as red as her hair the more she stammered, trying to put together a coherent sentence. Then, he decided to do the one thing he'd seen his father do numerous times to his mother when he wanted her to stop talking. Sweetly and innocently, Scorpius quickly leaned in and kissed her lips._

_Lily stared at the blond headed boy in front of her, shocked into silence for a few seconds. Finally, she found her voice. "What was that?" _

_You're the one I like," Scorpius said, his pale cheeks tinted pink. "You're my…you're my best friend."_

"_But not your girlfriend?" Lily asked, somewhat timidly, which was completely uncharacteristic of her usual feisty demeanor._

_Scorpius shrugged. "Why can't you be both?"_

Their mothers teased them all the time that they had been together since birth. Their birthdays were only a month a part, Lily of course being older, and never letting him forget it when they were younger, either. There was an entire wall at the party filled with photos of the two of them, all the way from birth to now, and if they appeared to be inseparable, it's because they were. His father asked him once if he was sure about being so serious about Lily during his sixth year. _I don't ask because I don't like her, because I adore Lily_, his father said to him. Scorpius knew what his father was getting at - his friends asked him about it all the time. They would ask him how he wasn't bored with her, and how he could possibly think that they wouldn't get bored in the future because they didn't have other experiences. He didn't care though. He thought that was the best part about their relationship - and knew that their relationship was special in that regards. Who else could possibly say that they have been in love with their future spouse their entire lives?

He could, and he couldn't imagine being with anyone else. His hands in his pockets, he watched as she gracefully posed for pictures with her mother's side of the family, Scorpius could see the sparkle of the diamond she wore on her left hand from across the room, catching the light as her hand moved. Lily was his firecracker, wildly passionate about the people and things she cared about, opinionated to the point of infuriating at times, and was his biggest supporter. A month ago, he received word from a scout with Puddlemore United that they wanted him to come try out for their open seeker position, so he did with Lily's enthusiastic encouragement. He'd been playing in a smaller, semi-professional league since Hogwarts, which many of players started out in before being called up to the big leagues. Before practice was over, the owner of the team offered him a contract right there in the middle of the practice pitch. He was flattered, but told the owner that he needed to read over the contract first, and would have an answer in the morning. On his way home, he popped over to Diagon Alley to pick up Lily's engagement ring - as he'd been planning to propose for a while but decided to have the goblins make her a custom ring, which was now finished - and went home.

"_Oh good! You're home!" Lily exclaimed as he walked into the door. "Gran gave me her hash brown casserole recipe and it just finished and I'm telling you I just might have made it better than her - but don't tell her I said that." _

_He laughed as he hung his jacket up at the door and dropped his gear by the door. They shared a small flat together in Diagon Alley, and the first thought that popped into his head once his contract was finalized was that he wanted to buy her a house, with a real kitchen to cook in, as it was a passion of hers. Taking a seat at the table, she walked over a plate with her steaming casserole with baked piece of chicken and plopped it in front of him. Scorpius snagged her wrist before she could walk away, pulling her onto his lap as he carved a bite out of the casserole, and took a bite. "Perfect," he said before swallowing. "It tastes fantastic, Lil." _

_She beamed at his praise. "I always get nervous when Gran gives me a recipe because I feel like I'll ruin it, but I put in some extra cheese and I think that's exactly what it needed." _

"_I agree," he replied, taking another bite before putting his fork down. Swallowing, he wrapped his arms around her waist and hugged her tight. "I love you," he said as he exhaled._

_Lily raked her fingers through his mussed hair and smiled. "I love you too, babe," she replied. "How did the tryout go?" _

"_It was alright." _

"_Just alright?" _

_He looked up at her and smiled. "I'll tell you about it, but I have to ask you a question first." _

_She nodded. "Ask away." _

"_How do you feel about being the wife of the newest seeker for Puddlemore United?" _

_Lily's eyes went wide as Scorpius pulled out a large diamond ring from his pocket and held it in front of her, his fingers pinching the intricately designed platinum band. She took the ring from him, holding it up close to her eyes, then holding it back so she could admire it from afar, then turned her attention back to Scorpius. "Are you proposing because you're a professional quidditch player now?" _

_He laughed. "No - I've been planning to propose for weeks. I got a note on the way to practice that your ring was ready. I just figured that the whole professional quidditch player would just be an added bonus instead of marrying a semi-professional quidditch player." He took the ring back from her and slid it down her left ring finger. "So will you marry me?" _

_She nodded quickly, biting her lip hard as she looked down at her newest piece of jewelry. "Of course I'll marry you," Lily managed to whisper._

_He kissed her before she could say anything else._

"Where's your head at?"

Scorpius snapped out of his daydream and found his future father-in-law standing next to him, handing over a beer. "Nowhere," he replied with a smile. "I was just thinking, is all."

"My daughter looks incredibly happy," Harry noted, pointing in her direction with the bottle in his hand.

"I'd like to think she is," Scorpius replied. "Happy with me, that is. She did say yes, after all."

"I'm not sure saying no was even an option," Harry replied with a chuckle. "And I meant what I said when you asked for her hand - I couldn't have had a better person to hand my daughter over too. You're a good man, Scorpius."

Scorpius grinned. "That's probably my mother's doing."

Harry laughed. "Yes, well, your father's nothing to slouch at either. I never would have let him marry my best friend otherwise." He shook Scorpius hand and nodded in the direction of his daughter, who was weaving through the crowd towards them. "I'm going to go say hello to some of the foreign dignitaries."

He gave Harry a nod, only to be greeted by arms wrapping around his middle. Careful not to spill his beer, he grabbed his bottle with the other hand so he could wrap an arm around his fiancée. "Do you think everyone's arrived by now?"

"Doubtful," Lily replied. "I can still see spaces in the crowds. Is Harper here yet?"

"I haven't seen her," he said, scanning the crowd. "And God knows she won't make a quiet entrance."

"You told her not to ruin tonight, right?"

He nodded, as everyone was well aware for Harper's penchant for causing drama wherever she went. "And I'm sure Mum told her the same thing."

"No offense, but your sister isn't exactly the world's best listener."

"I'm aware," Scorpius said. He'd been begging his sister to get it together over the years, but she never listened. There were days where he seriously wondered if the same parents that raised him and Charlie were the same parents that raised Harper, because he couldn't understand how she turned out the way she did. He took a drink of his beer when he felt Lily clutch a hand against the back of his jacket. "What?" he asked.

She pointed over towards where guests were walking into and grit her teeth. "Why is your sister dressed like she is walking a red carpet?"

It took a moment for Scorpius to find her, but when he did, all he could do was sign in disappointment. "I have no idea." He gave her a reassuring hug, but could see it was doing nothing to unclench the hand holding his jacket. "Lily, it will be fine. I swear."

Lily let him kiss her, and as he pulled away, she stole his beer bottle and took a swig before returning it to him. "You shouldn't make promises you know you can't keep."

* * *

Charlotte was dancing with Albus out on the dance floor when she suddenly stopped in her tracks. Her sister couldn't have been drawing any more attention if she tried with the dress she was wearing. A strong patronus charm wouldn't have half the luster that Harper's dress had. Shaking her head in disappointment, she felt Albus tug on her arm, and she moved back towards them as the music switched from a fast song to a slow song. She also wondered how long it would take for Albus to see her.

"You ok?" Albus asked.

She nodded, wrapping an arm under his and around his shoulder, resting her chin on her wrist. "She's here," Charlotte told him, figuring it would be less of a shock.

Albus froze, albeit momentarily, before swaying back and forth with the music again. "Well, it wasn't like she was going to not come, right?"

"I know," Charlotte replied. "I just wish my sister would consider people's feelings sometimes. She's dressed up like she's at one of her fancy photo shoots, and she's taking all the attention away from Lily." She looked up and watched him focus on a particular spot on the wall, and she could feel him tense. "Oh just turn around and look," she told him. "You know you want to."

Albus looked back at Charlotte. "I should be over this by now, I know."

"Probably, but you aren't," Charlotte replied. "You should really try having a face to face conversation with her."

"Because she responds well to reason."

"It's not reason - it's how you're feeling - and how you've been feeling for the past three years for heaven's sake!" Charlotte hissed. "I'm not saying she's going to get it - because as smart as she is, Harper can be incredibly daft - but at least you'll get whatever it is that you're feeling off of your chest!" She was eye to eye with Albus in her heels, and stared at him fiercely. "You're never going to move on and find someone that will love you for everything that you have to offer if you keep holding onto this."

He sighed and looked down at the ground, knowing that she was right. Albus knew he had to find a way to finally move on from Harper. Nothing good was coming from him holding a grudge against her - despite the fact that she devastated him by leaving and refusing to speak to him about that night. He looked over his shoulder and saw Harper, hugging her father while Hermione gave her a slightly disappointed look as she moved a finger up and down in the direction of her dress. He looked back over at Charlotte and gave her an apologetic look. "I'm sorry, Charlie," he said. "But I have to go."

"Albus no!" Charlotte exclaimed, grabbing his hand and holding it tight as he tried to walk away.

"Charlie you don't understand -"

"You are a grown man!" she snapped at him. "And you will stand here and support your sister and my brother because we're about to officially become a big, gigantic, highly dysfunctional family and you cannot avoid her forever!"

Albus stifled a laugh as Charlotte kept a firm hold of his wrist while her other her hand sat sternly on her hip.

"What on earth are you finding so funny?" she demanded to know.

"That you're adorable when you're angry," Albus replied. "You do this little thing with your nose just like Aunt Hermione does and −"

"Are you quite finished?" she asked in a haughty tone.

"Yes," Albus replied, swallowing another laugh.

"And you aren't going to leave?"

"I won't leave."

She relaxed her shoulders and gave Albus a look. "You know, I don't like yelling at you."

"Well, I guess I need it sometimes," he offered with a smile as he extended his free hand. "Now, are you going to finish dancing with me?"

Charlotte rolled her eyes and took his other hand, releasing his wrist as he pulled her close to him. "You're such a pain in the ass, you know that?"

Albus nodded with a small smile. "But that's why you're my best friend - because I know you'll still be my best friend when I'm being a pain in the ass. Now dance with me."

She feigned an irritated sigh. "I guess, if you insist."

"I do."

* * *

Across the room, while Harper scanned the crowd looking for James, she spotted Albus in the middle of the dance floor, twirling her little sister around. "Um, what in the hell is that?" she asked as Albus dramatically dipped Charlotte.

Hermione and Draco looked where she was pointing, and Hermione pushed her hand down like a child. "Albus and Charlotte? They're dancing, Harper. It's what people do at parties," Hermione explained.

"Are they a thing?" she asked.

"Charlie and Albus?" Draco asked with a laugh. "Merlin no!"

"Well that's not what it looks like."

Hermione sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose with her thumb and index finger. "Harper Grace, it is in fact, entirely possible, to be friends with someone of the opposite sex without having romantic feelings."

Harper made a face. "It really isn't."

"Harry is my best friend and I have never had a single fleeting romantic feeling for him - ever," Hermione said in her firm voice - one that did not allow for any sort of talking back. "Now, please go over and congratulate your brother and Lily, and do so without drawing any more attention to yourself than you already are."

"Oh Mum," Harper said with a sweet smile. "You worry too much."

"With you, we clearly haven't worried enough," Draco replied, unimpressed by his eldest daughter's behavior. "We are not tolerating any of your antics tonight."

"Why does everyone blame me when bad things happen?" she asked in disgust.

Hermione looked at her daughter and gave her arm a pat. "You're an incredibly bright girl, Harper Grace, which means you know that was an incredibly stupid question."

With her father's help, her mother ushered Harper away from the wizard media that was at the event and pointed her in the direction of where their family would be sitting for dinner. She was a little put out about how they both held onto her elbow until she was close enough to the table before letting go. Sitting down, she dropped her matching clutch on the table, crossed one leg over the other, and surveyed the room, looking for James Potter. He had to be here somewhere, especially if Albus was already here. _Could there be any more people in this bloody atrium? _she thought herself as she looked around for several minutes, finally spotting him at the bar with some blokes from the Puddlemore United team at the bar. She couldn't figure out why they would be there, until she remembered that Scorpius was their new seeker.

Standing up, she stole a glass of champagne off of a waiter's tray as she made her way through the crowed, coming upon the group of men as they were all laughing about whatever it is they were talking about. "Care to clue me into the joke?" she asked, batting her eyes at one of the Puddlemore players before looking right at James. "Oh! James! I didn't see you there!"

"I'm sure," James said, not believing her for a moment. "Guys, this is Harper Malfoy - Scorpius' older sister."

She flashed a brilliant smile at all of the men, before she heard one of them ask, "If she's the older one, which one is the younger one?"

Harper pointed out towards the dance floor where Charlotte and Albus continued to dance. "That would be the plain Jane out there in the black dress with Jamie's brother. Isn't that right?"

James made a face. "Charlotte isn't a plain Jane. She looks wonderful tonight."

"She dresses like a nun."

"Just because she doesn't feel the need to show eight percent of her skin at all times doesn't mean she's plain," James snapped at her. "Charlotte is special," he explained to the guys. "She's kind of the baby of our collective families, and she's incredibly smart, just like my aunt. She just graduated from Hogwarts too at the top of her class, no less."

"She looks very pretty," one of the Puddlemore players said.

"I guess," Harper said. "If that's what you're into."

James finished his beer in one gigantic gulp and placed the empty bottle on the bar. He grabbed Harper's arm and gave his friends a polite, but terse smile. "I'm sorry, will you excuse us for just a moment?" He didn't bother to wait for a response, dragging Harper away from the quidditch team and ducked down a deserted hallway of the Ministry. Making sure he was far enough away that the noise from the party was nothing more than a dull roar, he let go of Harper's arm and stared at her. "What is your fucking problem? Why on earth would you say such rude things about your sister!"

"What?" Harper said. "She's a prude and everyone knows it. You act like that's a new revelation."

"Just because she isn't you doesn't mean she's not worth something to someone else," James spat. "And if you spent more time with her as a bloody sister instead of scowling and making jokes at her expense, you'd see that."

Harper rolled her eyes. "Don't you have a girlfriend to entertain instead of lecturing me like a child? Ellis, is it?"

"If you would act like an adult I wouldn't speak to you this way," James retorted. "And besides - _Ellie _had a family gathering of her own to attend."

Harper rolled her eyes again. "Whatever. Can I go now, or was there…another reason why you wanted to get me alone?"

He swatted her hand away from his tie. "Harper - understand me when I say that a part of me will always love you - but _this_ will never happen between us _ever_ again. I love Ellie."

"We'll see," Harper said with a grin. "After all, I've always been known to have a fair bit of luck."

"Well, consider your luck run out on this front," James replied. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm headed back to the party."

She gave him a sarcastic flutter with her hand towards the party. "Well by all _means_, don't let me _keep_ you."

James left her standing alone in the hallway, and as she watched him walk away, all she could tell herself was that she'd find a way to get him back. He loved her still, after all, considering he just said it. _This shouldn't be that difficult_, she told herself as she began to walk back towards the party. Everyone who was coming appeared to be inside, and suddenly the noise in the room dulled into whispers, then silence as Lucius Malfoy stood near the bandstand. She leaned against the wall and watched as he held a glass of champagne in his hand, motioning towards her brother and Lily.

"I had the unfortunate opportunity to read a horrid magazine this morning that my wife keeps in the house," Lucius began to speak in his usual drawl. "I usually ignore these magazines when I see them, but it just so happened that my grandson and his beautiful bride to be were on the cover, so naturally, I was curious. The article - which in my personal opinion was _poorly_ written, dubbed these two the king and queen of promise, and that their union was a sign that the bloodshed we all experienced more than twenty five years ago was proof that those who died did not do so in vain." He took a sip of his champagne and continued to stare at the young couple about to be married. "But they were wrong," he went on to explain. "The king and queen of promise, were actually your parents, young Scorpius, and it is because of your mother, along with Lily's father and uncle, the three who stood and defended their friends and families, standing up for what was _right_, even though their task was almost _impossible_, that allow the two of you to stand here in this room, surrounded by an _ungodly_ number of people, celebrating a union that never would have happened twenty-five years ago."

Harper moved through the crowd slowly until she was close to her family, and saw Scorpius holding Lily against his side with his arm around her waist. She could see her mother dabbing tears away from her eyes with her father's handkerchief at her grandfather's words, while her grandmother sat on the other side of her father, watching her grandfather speak with utter adoration.

"I have watched you two grow up," Lucius continued. "And never have I ever seen two people more perfectly suited for one another. So I propose a toast, to my grandson and his beloved Lily Luna Potter. May you enjoy this wonderful night, and may your wedding be_ much _smaller."

A chorus of laughter and "here here!" echoed throughout the party as Scorpius leaned in, placing a sweet kiss against Lily's lips. Harper managed to walk past them and over to her family's table, where she took a seat across from Albus and Charlotte. Albus was purposely looking anywhere that she wasn't, while Charlotte rummaged through her bland black clutch. "Albus," Harper said with a grin. "How have you been?"

"Fine," he said, his voice clipped.

Charlotte looked up and smiled at her sister. "You look very pretty tonight," she said. "Is that dress new?"

"Of course it is," Harper said, as if that were a dumb question. "What about your dress? Is it new?"

"You know very well I wore this dress at graduation under my robes," Charlotte said, glancing down slightly. "So technically, I guess it's new."

Harper made a face. "You should really let me take you shopping sometime, Charlie. Your wardrobe could use a little extra…pizzazz."

"My clothes are perfectly fine, thank you," Charlotte said in a polite but firm voice, which caught their mother's attention from the conversation she was having with Ginny.

"Is everything ok?" Hermione asked, eyeing her daughters.

"Of course it is!" Harper gushed. "I'm just talking with my sister - since when did that become a crime."

Hermione gave her eldest daughter a look before going back to her conversation, and Harper went back to trying to get Albus to speak to her. "Oh come on," Harper said with a sigh. "It's been three years, Al."

Albus looked over at Harper and shook his head. "I have nothing to say to you, Harper, so if it's all the same, just stop talking to me, please." He stood up from the table and looked down at Charlotte. "Do you need a drink?"

She shook her head no. "Thank you anyway."

He smiled at her. "Don't mention it."

Harper waited for Albus to disappear before she got up quickly and went over to sit in his seat. "Ok, you've got to tell me what I have to do to get him to stop hating me," she begged her sister.

Charlotte closed her clutch and shook her head. "You owe him an apology."

"An apology? For what?"

"Sleeping with him and then leaving him and then not returning _any_ of his letters!" she hissed at her sister under her breath.

Harper clapped a shocked hand over her gaping mouth, and leaned back a bit. "He told you about that!"

"Of course he did, you idiot," Charlotte snapped. "He tells me everything."

"Why would he tell you that!"

"Because he had to tell someone before he exploded − and he knew I wouldn't say anything," Charlotte prattled on. "You're my sister, and I love you, but I'm telling you now - leave him _alone_. You've already broken his heart once, and I won't watch you do it again."

Harper started to laugh a bit, but stopped. "I'm sorry, but are you two a thing?" she asked.

"No, Harper, we aren't a 'thing'," Charlotte mocked.

"Well you're getting awfully defensive about him," Harper retorted. "And I saw you two dancing earlier."

Charlotte rolled her eyes and stood up from her chair. "I know you might find this _shocking_, but not _everyone _sleeps around with their friends. In fact, real friends defend each other, and care about each other, instead of using them and then tossing them aside as if they never mattered."

Harper leapt up to her feet, catching the attention of her parents, her brother and Lily, her grandparents, along with Harry, Ginny, James, and Albus as he returned with a beer. "You know nothing about me, and you wouldn't even know anything about what happened between Albus and I because unlike you, I'm not a tight ass prude that has never even been kissed! You can't learn about life from a book, Charlie, you actually have to grow some fucking guts and live it!"

"Harper Grace!" Draco hissed.

Tears welled up in Charlotte's eyes, as she could now feel people staring at her. Charlotte was never one that wanted attention, and her cheeks were starting to burn with embarrassment. Not wishing to dignify anything her sister was saying with any sort of answer, she picked up her clutch and began to walk away, only to be stopped by Albus, who grabbed her arm in passing. "Please let me go," she whispered.

"What did she say to you?"

"Please let me go," she repeated.

Albus stuck his beer bottle on the table and looked over at their parents. "I'm going to go with her if that's alright."

The foursome nodded. "Please," Hermione quietly requested.

Harper rolled her eyes as Albus lead Charlotte through the crowd, only to feel a rough hand grab her arm. "What the fuck, Scorp?" she asked.

"What the fuck?" he repeated back at her. "What in the bloody hell is your problem? Why do you have to be so fucking mean to her!"

"So we're just going to assume that Charlotte didn't provoke me, and I'm just the bad guy?" Harper indignantly asked. "Not that I'm surprised by any of this, coming from you. You never take my side."

"Give me a reason to take your bloody side and I will!" Scorpius snapped.

Lily could feel her teeth grinding as she stared at her soon to be sister-in-law. "Scorpius, can we please just go back to the party before everyone is staring?" she asked.

Scorpius nodded, grabbing her hand. "Of course, dear."

"Oh, and Harper?" Lily said in a less than civil tone. "Feel free to try and _not_ ruin the rest of our engagement party? I know that's setting the bar pretty high for you, but if you give it an honest go, you just might make it to the end of the night."

Harper returned Lily's remarks with a sarcastic smile. "I'll see what I can do."

"Thanks," Lily spat as Scorpius pulled her towards the dance floor.

She looked back over at her parents and grandparents, the four of them looking at her with sheer disappointment, while the remaining Potters didn't appear to be surprised at the slightest by the recent events. Feeling defensive, Harper huffed and threw her hands in the air. "You aren't even going to ask me what Charlie said? You're just going to assume that I'm the bad guy once again!"

"Lower your voice, young lady," Draco warned. "No one is assuming anything."

"Bull shit."

"Harper Grace!" Hermione snapped. "You do _not_ speak to your father that way, do you understand me?"

"I'm an adult, Mother," Harper said with a bored sigh. "I'll say what I want."

"If you're going to claim to be an adult," Lucius added with a disappointed tone. "It's best to start _acting_ like one - _especially_ when you're in public."

Harper was going to snap back, but even at her worst, she knew better than to talk back to Lucius Malfoy. Sitting back in her chair, she took the beer Albus left and took a drink. If this was how the engagement party was going to go, she was certain that she would have a persistent headache from now until the day after the wedding.


	2. Chapter 2

"Why…are you awake?"

Hermione looked over at Draco, half asleep in bed, and sighed. She'd been propped up and thinking for the past hour about her daughters, and it was this never-ending thought cycle that was keeping her from sleeping. "Sorry," she whispered. "I'm going to go into the study for a bit. Go back to sleep."

Draco shook his head and looped an arm around her waist, puling her close. "What's wrong?" he mumbled.

"Nothing that can be fixed right now," Hermione said with a sad sort of sigh. She eventually snuggled up close to her husband as he showed no signs of letting her leave. Shifting so that Hermione was on her back, she swallowed a laugh as Draco moved, holding her as his head now rested against her chest. Her fingers lightly weaved through his blond hair, her nails softly grazing his scalp in an attempt to lull him back to sleep.

"Granger?" Draco's muffled voice spoke several minutes later.

Hermione laughed quietly. "Malfoy?"

"Why aren't you sleeping?"

"Because my brain won't shut off."

Draco looked up at his wife and sighed. "The girls will figure it out, Hermione."

She shook her head. "This isn't just a fight between them. Harper is becoming our own personal terrorist and I for one cannot allow it to continue. She didn't even care about that scene she caused at the dinner tonight, or how she hurt her sister's feelings. We didn't raise her to be this way, Draco."

Draco didn't say much to that regard, and instead buried his face deep into the pillow.

"What?" Hermione asked.

"Hermione…it's too late to have this conversation."

"Too late as in you're too tired to talk about this or too late as in too late, period?"

"Both," he said with a groan.

"Excuse me?"

He knew he should have left his mouth shut, but now that he opened it, there was certainly no turning back. Groaning again, he pulled himself up, rolled over, and dragged a hand over his face. "You and I are only children, and that's how we raised Harper until Scorpius came along. We raised her the same way we were raised. Sharing wasn't an issue. She was our princess, our miracle baby, and you know we were much more strict with Scorpius and Charlotte than we ever were with Harper."

Hermione scowled. "Are you saying that we gave different rules to our children?"

"Yes," Draco frankly replied. "Because we did, and now we're paying for it."

She wanted to argue with her husband's logic, but the more she thought about it, the harder it was to say anything to the contrary. Silence filled the room, and before it became entirely uncomfortable, Hermione sucked in a deep breath and exhaled. "So what do we do?"

"Honestly?"

"Yes."

Draco sighed, and dragged another tired hand over his face. "We let her fail, Hermione. Scorpius and Charlotte - we let them fall down, scrape knees, and learn by trying harder. We didn't do that for Harper. We let her fail and by proxy, we don't allow this behavior in our house anymore. If she wants to be rude and inconsiderate, she can leave. She can't treat Charlotte that way, and she cannot disrespect her brother and future sister-in-law at events where she is not the center of attention."

Hermione sighed again. She knew her husband was right. "We really screwed up with her, didn't we?"

Draco shook his head. "We didn't screw up with her. She just…took advantage of the situation…and never turned back."

"We never forced her to turn."

"Maybe, but she does know right from wrong. She just chooses, you know, not to implore the good sense we both know she has," Draco argued. He rolled to his side and pulled his wife close, kissing her bare shoulder as he moved the thin strap of her sleep dress out of his way. "It'll all work out," he promised. "You'll see."

Hermione shrugged, goosebumps prickling her exposed skin. She snuggled into the warmth of her husband's embrace. "She didn't used to be this way."

Draco chuckled. "She was always this way," he said. "It used to be a dull roar, but now…it's like surround sound."

"You and your Muggle terminology," Hermione teased.

"Speaking of - I had a new stereo system put in the car last week and it really is fantastic. We'll have to take a drive one day so you can see for yourself."

"Hmm…" Hermione hummed, closing her eyes. "We haven't done that in a while. We could drive out to the country…maybe have a picnic?"

Draco nodded into the crook of her neck and sighed. "We could."

Hermione stifled a yawn. "We should send Charlotte away this summer."

"Away?"

"She should have fun before university starts," Hermione said, yawning again. "Maybe send her to your parents' flat in Paris for the summer. She loves Paris."

Draco hugged Hermione close. He didn't hate the idea. It wouldn't kill his youngest to cut loose a little bit and have a fun summer. "You're really ok sending her alone?"

"She's of age, and she's trustworthy," Hermione reasoned. "Maybe one of her friends would like to go with her. Gretchen probably would if she asked."

"Maybe," Draco murmured, a hand grazing her thigh. "We can figure that out tomorrow."

Hermione smirked. "Oh really?"

His hand slid higher, underneath her sleep dress, resting against her bare stomach for a moment before his fingers dipped below the elastic of what felt like his favorite pairs of lace knickers that his wife owned. "Really."

"What do you think you're doing, Mr. Malfoy?"

"Exactly what you think I'm doing, Mrs. Malfoy." She rolled to her back and Draco moved as well, hovering over her with a smug look on his face. "Weren't you yawning just a few seconds ago?"

Draco smirked. "Weren't you finally yawning a few seconds ago?"

"Are you trying to shag me into exhaustion?"

"It's worked before," he said, peeling her knickers away. "Besides, maybe this way you'll _finally_ go to sleep, and in return, so will I."

"We could just go to sleep now," Hermione said, her actions contradictory as she pulled her sleep dress up over her head.

Draco kicked his boxers off and pressed his erection against her warmth, creating an anticipatory friction before slipping himself into her with one swift plunge. "Sleep later," he said through a pleasure-filled moan.

"Sleep later," Hermione gasped, before latching her lips to his.

* * *

_**Ok...so my goal for this story is to alternate chapters between the next-gen characters and Draco/Hermione (and other adults as the story goes) to appease a variety of readers and suggestions.**_

**_While I will be updating this story as best I can, I feel like I need to be honest and tell you all that my consistent publishing of fanfiction since 2011 has burned me out a bit. I've committed to an HP fanfic competition that doesn't end until March, I just bought a house (who knew owning a house would be a time suck all on its own!), my job is about to enter it's crazy season, and well...if it takes longer for me to update just bear with me (and don't desert me!). I'd rather take time and write something I know you'll enjoy instead of forcing something and having it look like crap. _**

**_So I apologize for my about to be intermittent updating (with the exception for the competition fics I'm writing)...and hope you all will understand._**

-Redhead414


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